San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-04-06
Mismatcd to Il Man of Genius.
1.-THE lady who was lcft?'

"The lady who was lcft?'
said this inqurngy and doubtfully.
90, no, replied my friend, Il said
the lady on his left. She is his wife"
1t was at the theater. We had been
discussing a famous man Of genius who
occupied a conspicuous seat and | had
asked about his wife. When the lady
was pointed out to me | suddenly lost
all interest in the husband
Hal har' laughed my companion.
Your mistake was a good one"
What mistakc?'
Why, your characterization of Mrs.
- as the lady who was left. | don't
think she would like it much"
said nothing, and glanced again at
the sweet-faccd woman who looked so
lonely in the midst of that lght-hearted
crowd. The husband was not lonely.
He had everything he wanted except a
mirror. Not having one, he posed with
a due regard for spectacular effect, and
was happy. The expression on his face
seemed to say: Il know it is trying to
the complexion, this fierce white light
that beats upon the throne, but I've got
TO stand it. 1t is one of the penalties Of
greatness" He never looked at the wo
man with the tender, luminous eyes by
his side He did not see that like some
fair and fragile flower she seemed to wilt
under the fierce white light. Perhaps
he did not care.
Yes, | said to myself, "shc is the
lady who was left
The play went on, and whenever there
was a telling hit the spectators looked az
the strangely brilliant man who was
among them but not of them. Watch.
ing the lights and the shadows of that
mobile, magnetic face they applaudcd OF
relapscd into stOlil Indifference running
the entire gamut of expression. But no
body looked at the quiet lady who shud-
dered under every shock or sound, and
seemed to shrink from every fresh i'm.
pulse of glare.
After that night at the theatre | saw
my lady who was left many times and in
many places. 1t would not be said that
her husband condemned her to seClusiOn.
On the contrary he took her everywhere.
If he was lavish in the matter of his own
personal adOrnment, he urged his wife
to deny herself nothing. If it delighted
him to pose rs the central figure in
field of cloth of gold stiff with gorgeous
embroidery, he was determined that his
wife should not lack for Tyrian purple,
so to speak, and diamonds that would
have graced cOrOnet. Why shouldn't
she be happy woman? Her costumes
were eXtravagantly compared to sym
phonies and poems.
But she was not happy. In the midst
of all the excitement accompanying the
spectacular pageantry of her husbands
life she knew that she was left. Why
indulge in any nonsense about her fail
ure to grow with her husband and keep
pace with him intellectually? 1t would
be stupidity. brutilly false to say such
thing. She was born to be the queen of
an ideal home uad to hold solely Sove-
reign sway over one heart. But her
husband had divided his affections be.
tween her and the many-headed monster
thing called the public, and their home
life had been turned into gilded tumult.
still see these two on public Occa-
siOns A shadow is beginning to darken
the husbands face. lie feels that life is
growing stale and fat. just why. he
cannot tell He knows that it is not
the fault of H. loyal wife, but there is
something wrong somewhere. Per
hans there is lust the suspicion of a sha-